Antarctica has an interesting
and extremely adaptable array of flora and fauna that either lives there
permanently or migrates there for the Summer months. This page will provide
you with information on each of the headings below. Click on the headings
(links) to take you to that part of the page or simply scroll down. Use
this information to answer the quiz questions at the bottom of this page.
Make sure you read this page carefully and underline the important parts.

There are only a few
plants that can survive the harsh climate of Antarctica, with it's extreme
temperatures, fierce winds and lack of rain. Simple plants like algae,
mosses, liverworts, lichens and microscopic fungi can survive and grow
in Antarctica. Some algae lives in the snow, while other plants grow on
the 2% of coastal rocky land that is ice free. There are only 2 species
of flowering plants found in Antarctica. A few species of plants, such
as plankton, algae and mosses, live in and around Antarctica's fresh and
saltwater lakes.

Although birds and seals
are often seen in the Antarctic, the only land animals that live there
all year round are tiny. These animals are called invertebrates which means
they don't have a backbone. About 200 species have been discovered. These
include midges, mites and tardigrades. Midges are the largest. They are
wingless and only grow to a length of 12 mm. They are found on the northern
part of the Antarctica Peninsula. Mites are the most common. They mainly
live in the soil and vegetation and are so small that human eyes can hardly
see them. Many of Antarctica's invertebrates avoid freezing by super cooling,
or keeping their body temperatures below their normal freezing point.

Food webs are part of
every natural habitat and show what each animal eats. The oceans around
Antarctica provide food that supports a huge number of birds, fish, mammals
and other animals. Phytoplankton are the primary producers in Antarctic
waters. They are the first link in the chain. They are tiny, simple plants
that bloom in spring. Phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton and krill.
Many larger animals and birds rely on the krill for their food, from whales
to birds to fish. Some of these smaller animals and birds become prey for
the larger seals and toothed whales.

There
are 6 main species of seals that live in Antarctica. Leopard seals are
strong, fast swimmers and ferocious hunters. They have powerful jaws and
are often seen around penguin rookeries hunting for prey. They also eat
young crabeater seals and krill. They weigh 350 kilograms and are 3 meters
in length.

Weddell seals
are often seen in large groups on the 'fast ice' along the coast. They
are the best swimmers and can dive deeply. They can stay underwater for
over an hour. During the long, dark winters they can survive under the
ice where they scrape breathing holes with their teeth. They eat fish,
squid and some crustaceans. They weigh 400 kilograms and are 3 meters in
length.

Southern elephant
seals are the largest Antarctic seal, and one of the largest of all mammals.
Their name comes from the wrinkled sack of skin (called a proboscis) on
top of the adult male's nose. It is used to make a deafening roar. Dominant
males (bulls) have a harem of up to 70 females (cows). They eat fish, squid
and crustaceans. The bulls weigh up to 4 tonnes and are 6-7 meters long.
The cows are 3.5 meters long and weigh up to 1 tonne. Elephant seal pups
weigh 50 kilograms when they are born and double their weight in the first
2 weeks of life.

Adelie penguins live
on Antarctica and some of the sub-antarctic islands. They make up approximately
50% of the total penguin population on Antarctica. When it is time to breed
the males arrive on the shores of Antarctica and begin to build a nest.
A few days later the females arrive. The female usually lays 2 eggs. The
male penguin incubates the eggs for the 35 days that they take to hatch.
He goes without food for all 35 days, while the female returns to the sea
to feed. When the chicks are about 3 weeks old the adults leave them alone
for the first time. The parents feed the chicks krill, small fish, squid
and crustaceans.

Emperor penguins are
the tallest and heaviest penguins, with an average weight of 32 kilograms
and an average height of 1.2 meters. They live in colonies ranging in size
from 300 to 100,000 birds. They breed on the pack ice during the freezing
winters, which takes about 9 months to complete. they begin breeding in
March. After mating, the female lays 1 egg in mid-May and then leaves to
spend the rest of the winter feeding at sea. The male keeps the egg warm,
for 2 months, by holding it on his feet and covering it with a fold of
skin. The females return from the sea, nice and fat, just as the chicks
are hatching. She regurgitates fish to feed the chick, while the male makes
the long journey, up to 2 days, to the sea to feed himself. By mid-December
the chicks have reached 60% of their adult weight.

Chinstrap penguins are
very similar to adelie penguins. They received their name because of the
small black line that runs under their beaks. They are very easy to recognise
and remember. The chinstrap penguins build small nest on the steep, rocky
slopes of Antarctica and the surrounding islands. Sometimes you can see
penguins standing with their flippers out. They do this to help cool off,
if they feel to hot in the sunshine.

Whales are mammals. They
live in the ocean, but must surface to breathe air. Toothed whales have
sharp teeth to help them catch large prey and 1 blowhole. They feed mostly
on fish, squid and sometimes eat sea birds, penguins and seals. Sperm whales
and killer whales are types of toothed whales found in Antarctica. Sperm
whales have massive square shaped heads. They weigh up to 30 tonnes. Killer
whales ( or Orca whales) spend their lives in small family groups called
pods. They are fierce hunters and work together to 'trap' their prey. They
weigh up to 8 tonnes.

Baleen whales do not
have teeth. They are filter feeders. They feed by straining plankton through
the comb-like fingers of baleen, which hang down from their upper jaw.
Baleen whales have 2 blowholes next to each other. Blue whales and humpback
whales are found in Antarctica. Humpbacks live in small groups, up to 25
whales, and eat krill. They weigh up to 31 tonnes. Blue whales are the
largest animals in the world. There aren't many of these amazing creatures
left because man hunted them until they were nearly extinct. They eat mainly
krill and weigh up to 136 tonnes.

There are many different
kinds of sea life in Antarctic waters, but only 200 fish varieties can
be found out of 20,000 species all together. Krill, a type of crustacean,
is a very important species in the food web of Antarctica. It is the most
abundant animal in the world. They are found in huge swarms which cover
hundreds of kilometers in the waters around Antarctica. Many of the fish
that live in Antarctica have 'antifreeze' in their bodies to stop their
body fluids from freezing. Seaweeds, sponges, corals, worms, sea anemones
and sea spiders are just some of the creatures to be found on the bottom
of the Antarctic oceans.